Eight countries accuse RI companies of dumping: directorate

Batam (ANTARA News) - Eight countries have accused a number of Indonesian companies of dumping or selling their goods in overseas markets at lower than their domestic prices, according to the directorate of trade safety at the trade ministry.

The eight countries whose accusations were now being handled by the directorate are South Korea, the United States, Egypt, the Philippines, India, Taiwan and Pakistan.

South Korea`s accusation was directed at an Indonesian company engaged in the paper industry and a ruling on the case by the WTO`s Dispute Settlement Body (DSB-WTO) was now in the process of implementation.

A similar charge against another Indonesian paper maker was also made by the United States and the case was now in a verification phase.

The 7,500-page US charge sheet also included a subsidy charge against a company in the Sinar Mas Group.

Taiwan had also levelled a dumping charge at yet another Indonesian paper-making firm and the case was now awaiting a ruling by the Anti-Sumping Import Duty Board (BMAD).

Likewise, a Philippine charge against an Indonesian firm producing clear float glass and an Indian accusation against an Indonesian company involved in polyvinyl chlorine making are being looked into by the BMAD.

Another Indian charge against a maleic anhydride-making Indonesian firm was in an early stage of settlement where the Indonesian company had just returned a completed questionnaire.

An Eyptian accusation against two Indonesian tire-making companies, PT GT and PT BSI, was still in the process of verification. .

An allegation of dumping by Pakistan against an Indonesian company producing polyester staple fiber was still awaiting a ruling by BMAD which had already conducted a hearng on the case.

The trade safety directorate also said a total of 23 countries had accused Indonesia of 161 counts of dumping, enjoying subsidy and safeguard measures over the past 16 years.

Some 46 percent of the cases were halted, 41 percent were ended in the imposition of anti-dumping import duties and the remaining 13 percent was still in the process of being settled.

The accused Indonesian companies were active in among others fisheries, agro-industrial forests, clothes, tectile and textile products, footwear, bicycles, toys, plywood, cement, glass panes, tuna and canned fish.

Meanwhile, the total number of dumping, subsidy and safeguard cases in the world was 3,276.